Fresh or Frozen?

Each albacore is caught by hook and line, landed by hand, and transferred to ice for the fresh market or to an on-board freezer. In both cases the fish is preserved in as fresh a state as possible.

The time from the ocean to the ice or freezer isn’t more than a few minutes.

Blast freezing or brine freezing is an accelerated process in which fish are frozen immediately after they are harvested. It uses ultra-low temperatures to freeze the fish. Flash freezing allows fish to be caught, processed, and frozen solid in a matter of hours, not days. By minimizing the time frame between harvest and production, flash freezing captures the fish at its peak of perfection. It locks in the nutrition, texture, and flavor.

Thawing & Product Handling: As with all seafood, thawing should be done slowly, under refrigeration. Frozen round fish cut better when the flesh is still firm. Fresh product should be stored at 32oF; frozen at 0oF or below.

Troll-Caught Albacore is available year-round. Fresh market forms can be purchased during the summer/early fall months (late June through October) when the annual harvest along the Oregon coast occurs. Frozen market forms are available throughout the year.